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How to Watch the SpaceX Launch Online

Private spaceflight company SpaceX is scheduled to fly its Dragon capsule toward the International Space Station early on Saturday, marking the first time ever a privately built spacecraft will dock at the habitable artificial satellite. But if you're not near Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and don't want to miss the launch, there are still a handful of ways you can watch the historic event live.

The Dragon capsule — which will be attached to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket — will lift off at 4:55 a.m. ET and take about 10 minutes to reach Earth's lower orbit. It will then spend a few days in space, carrying out a series of tests, before making its way to the International Space Station to deliver and retrieve supplies.

If you're up to the challenge of waking up early or going to bed late, a livestream of the 4:55 a.m. launch will be available at SpaceX.com/Webcast. It will begin with pre-launch coverage at 4:15 a.m. ET.

NASA will be livestreaming the event as well, with a pre-show starting at 3:30 a.m. It will also be broadcast on NASA TV and is scheduled to play again at 5:25 a.m. A press conference is scheduled for a few hours after the launch, at 8:30 a.m.

To follow along with social media, SpaceX is encouraging fans to follow the company via Twitter at @SpaceX, with the hashtag #DragonLaunch. It will also post updates on its Facebook page.

Get some sleep, and some coffee. Tomorrow’s early morning launch webcast starts at 4:15 AM EST at spacex.com#DragonLaunch

In addition to looking for updates from NASA on Twitter by following @NASA, SpaceX founder Elon Musk (@ElonMusk) has been tweeting updates and pictures about the status of the rocket and capsule.

If there is another delay and the capsule doesn't launch (possibly due to inclement weather) SpaceX will try again on Tuesday, May 22. (The original launch date was pushed back nearly four weeks after the capsule was originally scheduled to soar into space, but more time was needed to work on Dragon's docking software). The good news is that the forecast is looking good for Saturday morning.

Will you be waking up (or staying up) to watch the event? How will you be following along? Let us know in the comments.

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